Jesse is speechless.
It’s brief.
Lasting not even sixty seconds, but I take comfort in his confused silence. Levi’s fingers stroke my arm, but the aggressiveness of his stance doesn’t change. He’s still waiting for things to go south.
Peace is foreign to him.
Baileigh is proof.
I am proof.
My association with him has been nothing but pain from day one.
“You conniving son-of-a-bitch,” Jesse snarls. Silas raises his brows and fires another shot at one of Jesse’s men. The bullet doesn’t collide with the scrawny kid's forehead, instead, it imbeds in his shoulder. The kid cries out, clutching the wound as blood seeps out of it and stains his shirt. The gun he was holding clatters to the floor as other men rush to his aid. He can’t be any older than eighteen.
“Casualties will increases because you love to hear yourself talk,” Silas replies calmly. Jesse slams his fists onto the desk.
“How?” Jesse seethes. “How long have you been playing fucking pretend!”
Silas shrugs before he runs his tongue over his teeth. “It’s been so long now I’ve lost count.”
Jesse looks away for a moment toward the kid Silas has shot, and I notice the veins in Jesse’s neck protruding. He looks trapped.
“What the fuck do you want from me then, huh?”
“Oh, so we’ve decided to believe me, have we?” Silas teases, beginning to pace in front of Jesse’s desk. He must put on a good enough show because no one has moved against him. None of Jesse’s men. The opposition is filled with a bunch of dick-less men who appear to not have understood what they were getting themselves into.
“I am familiar with some of Elias’s men. They stand with you.” Jesse swipes his thumb across his nose and spits on the floor. “What is it that you want from me? I know if you keep pulling that trigger it won’t save you from a gunfight.”
Silas licks his lips, eyebrows raising like he’s seriously considering what Jesse has said, and yet when he replies, it’s in that same sarcastic tone.
“Your father despises me, spit it the fuck out,” Jesse hisses.
“I am going to offer you a chance. You should be thankful, I don’t have to be so generous.”
Jesse glares at Silas but remains quiet to hear what he has to say. It’s strange watching it unfold. It has become bigger than Levi and I. Bigger than his disobedience.
“What I want from you is incredibly simple. Let Levi and Sasha go. Let them live and leave them be.”
Jesse scoffs and leans back in his chair, shaking his head as his eyes shift to us.
“He needs to learn his fucking lesson. He has made this mistake twice,” Jesse spews with venom. Levi steps forward, releasing his grip on my arm as he scowls at Jesse.
“The only fucking mistake I’ve made is not putting a bullet between your fucking eyes,” Levi says coldly. His body shudders with rage. Jesse laughs and it only heightens Levi’s fury. I step forward, pained seeing him like this.
I place a hand on his lower back, stroking gently.
“Levi, please,” I call. “Don’t let him get you like this.”
“Sasha,” Levi warns.
“No. Listen to me for once. Please let Silas come here to do what he plans.”
We are so close to freedom. So close I can taste it.
I don’t want anything jeopardizing that. Not even his anger or his willingness to fight for me.
Absolutely nothing is worth screwing this up.
I trail my hand from his lower back to his arm and squeeze hard. That seems to draw his attention. My masochist.
He takes a deep breath and steps back.
Jesse rolls his eyes.
“Women are nothing but weakness.”
“Would you say that about your daughter, Jesse?”
“Leave her the fuck outta this,” Jesse spews.
“You know my father will make sure your reign doesn’t just end with you, but every family member connected with you,” Silas states. Jesse tenses. “But that’s where I will extend my offer… I have a way to save her, and yourself.”
“You’re lying,” he accuses. Silas lets out a deep breath.
“I tire of this conversation,” Silas responds. “I will offer this once, and you’d be wise to take it if you don’t want your daughter raped and murdered. You know how it works in this war.”
Fear finally strikes Jesse’s exterior. It fills him until he can no longer keep it at bay. Jesse begins to fidget in his seat.
“The one thing that will guarantee my father doesn’t come after you, that will guarantee you don’t die, and neither will your family. An arranged marriage between your daughter and me. Only then will he spare their lives. But you have to agree to my terms.”
Jesse broods silently. He keeps a gaze trained on Silas who has humor gleaming in his eyes as he waits for Jesse’s usual insults. The silence settles over the room until it’s deafening. It causes my breathing to become rapid because I feel us edging closer to chaos.
“There’s only one way in this game, Jesse. Death or alliance. Spare them and accept my offer. Spare yourself, and your precious daughter.”
With a resolved sigh, Jesse curses. “Fine. I accept.”
I want to rejoice. The sincerity in Jesse’s tone almost causes me to cry out loudly with relief, but I hold back. Anything could tip the scales at this moment. I don’t want to be what breaks this.
“Good,” Silas replies.
I believe things are done. We can be free.
That is until Levi speaks up.
“Not so fast. I have one more stipulation,” Levi states.
“Your heart still fucking beating in your chest is more generosity than you deserve,” Jesse snarls. Levi isn’t fazed.
“I want Judas dead.”